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Could statins be beneficial for patients with slow coronary flow syndrome due to its anti-inflammatory properties?
In a recent issue of Medical Hypotheses there is an informative article Statins may be beneficial for patients with slow coronary flow syndrome due to its anti-inflammatory property by Jian-Jun Li, Xin Zheng and Jie Li
of the Department of Cardiology, Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing that begins: "The phenomenon of slow progression of angiographic contrast in the coronary arteries in the absence of stenosis in the epicardial vessels in some patients presenting with chest pain has been recently called the slow coronary flow syndrome because the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms as well as the therapeutics of this unique phenomenon are less well understood.
"Although this phenomenon was first reported on in 1972 by Tambe, few studies have focused on the etiology of this unique angiographic finding since that time. Several hypotheses have been posed to elucidate this phenomenon, including a form of early phase of atherosclerosis, small vessel dysfunction, Hagen–Poiseuille’s equation model, imbalance between vasoconstrictor and vasodilatory factors, and platelet function disorder. During the last several years there has arisen the most interesting concept of 'atherosclerosis as a inflammatory disease', which is involving the different entities of coronary artery disease covering slow coronary flow syndrome.
"The angiographic finding that appeared as slow flow is an important clinical entity because it may be the cause of angina at rest or during exercise, acute myocardial infarction, and hypertension. Despite the good prognosis, patients complain of a persistent uncomfortable chest, which can significantly impair quality of life. There is no effective therapy for patients with slow coronary flow syndrome up to now. Statins have shown important benefits for the large populations of individuals at high risk of coronary artery disease. In addition to lowering lipid profile, statins have pleiotropic effects on improving vascular function. Increasing evidence suggests that reduction of cardiovascular events conferred by statins relates not only to cholesterol lowering but also to direct effects on endothelium function as well as anti-thrombotic and anti-inflammatory actions.
"Accordingly, we hypothesize that these pleiotropic effects of statins may be beneficial for patients with slow coronary flow syndrome due to their pharmacological effects."
Medical Hypotheses, Volume 69, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 333-337. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2006.09.070. © 2006 Elsevier Ltd All rights reserved.
Statins may be beneficial for patients with slow coronary flow syndrome due to its anti-inflammatory property, Jian-Jun Li, Xin Zheng and Jie Li
Synopsis edited by Professor Wes Fabb, Melbourne. Posted on Global Family Doctor 16 July 2007
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